Mark 8:34-38 (NIV): Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Peter was disturbed that Jesus was talking about His upcoming crucifixion. Jesus was disturbed that Peter was disturbed. But the problem lay in the fact that most people’s understanding of the kingdom of God differed markedly from the reality that Jesus had come to inaugurate.
Jesus’ twelve disciples especially had a vision that was wide of the mark. They doubtlessly pictured Jesus marching into Jerusalem at the head of a massive throng, throwing out the Roman governor, and then all of them participating in His coronation as king. From then on, it would be marvelous! All twelve of them would become the heads of the new government, making up Jesus’ privy council, and enjoying all the perks that went along with it.
But Jesus saw a much different picture, and He knew that it would be His picture that came true. He knew that, even though many in the crowds would cheer Him into Jerusalem, five days later He would die on a cross and be buried in a borrowed tomb. Even though He would rise on the third day, and ascend back into heaven a few weeks later, He would be leaving a massive and difficult job in the hands of these disciples. They would be tasked with taking the gospel to every corner of the globe, with confronting the forces of evil and darkness, and pushing forward the kingdom of love and light. And He knew that as they did this, darkness and evil would be constantly pushing back against them. He knew that their paths would lead them through dark and treacherous valleys, and that suffering and pain would dog their steps. He knew that often they would have to choose between obeying God and their own safety.
Jesus’ word was not just for the twelve. He gathered all of the people around them to hear. Anyone who wanted to follow Him, to be counted among the people of the kingdom, must be willing to deny themselves – to put all of their plans, not just on the back burner, but off the stove altogether. Jesus’ disciples don’t live out their own lives, but His life. They no longer own their hopes and dreams. Instead they take up God’s plan, pursue His vision, and take up His goals as their new hopes and their dreams.
Anyone who wants to follow Jesus cannot shrink from the cross. Instead, they must take up their own cross willingly; be willing to die rather than turn away from the task that Jesus has called them to. Anyone who denies the gospel to save their life will ultimately lose their soul. But anyone who lays down their life for the sake of the gospel will save their soul for eternal life.
It was vital that Jesus’ followers understood this. If they were shrinking back now, when Jesus’ suffering on the cross was only an idea in their minds, what would they do when the choice had to be made for themselves – surrender or suffering; compromise or condemnation; denial or death? Jesus wanted His words to stick in their minds and hearts for the rest of their lives. He knew that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit would give them the power that they needed to be witnesses. But even then, the decision to obey regardless of the cost would have to originate in their own will.
Father, the standard is still the same today. There are a thousand ways in which we can deny You each day instead of pushing boldly forward with the gospel; a million little compromises and ways of holding back so that people won’t think poorly of us. But we are not our own. We have been bought with a price, and our lives are now to be lived as Your life. Help us to receive Your word deeply into our hears, and to make our decision to follow you now, no matter where the path leads, so that when the time comes, we will respond with boldness – no shame, no compromise, just obedience. Amen.